Jayde the Hedgehog • Negative Rebound [4]

11 • Where's My Epic Background Music?✔️

Music: Alienz - Malik Bash

That Afternoon

"How's Shadow?" Raiden asked, walking with the grey hedgehog back to her house.

"He's..." Jayde struggled to find the right words to say. Was he really okay? He may have acted like it, but Jayde saw that fear flash through his eyes when he first realized where he was. Never once had she imagined seeing fear in the ebony male, but she did. Inside he was probably tore into two, the past and the present, "...fine, I guess." She finally answered, but both her friends noticed the hesitation.

Mitzy placed a hand on the Protector's shoulder and smiled at her, "He'll be okay, J.J. It's not like a strong male like him to just give up."

Jayde smiled back, unlocking her door. She walked over to the kitchen, strapping a band around her wrist, "What's that?" Raiden asked.

Jayde smirked, pressing it before her hover board shot towards the three and by her side, "This is my board."

"Whoa!" Mitzy squealed, grabbing hold of the board, "Look at these awesome colors and those flames! Wow!"

"Tails made it for me. It allows me to reach speeds like Sonic and Shadow."

Raiden brushed his hand along the smooth surface, "How do you stay on?"

Jayde pointed to her shoes, "Tails also created these shoes for me. On the soles, there are super strong magnets that help me balance but also allow me to move my feet when I want."

"Man, I'm totally asking Tails to make me one!" Mitzy chuckled, holding up and analyzing the hover board.

Jayde laughed a her, "Sonic and Shadow left their boards here last time we had a race. I'm sure they won't mind if you borrow them for a bit."

"Wow, really?" Mitzy hopped about excitedly as Jayde pulled the two Extreme Gears from the cupboard and handing them to her friends.

They walked back outside, and Jayde turned to them, "Have you been anywhere outside the village?"

Raiden shook his head, "No, after you left, your mum wouldn't let me leave. She was so worried when I moved out into my own house."

"I bet she didn't take that well." Jayde chuckled.

"She was very persistent in keeping me there." Raiden smiled, "I'm thankful that she did that for me, but I did need to move out eventually. It was Alester who agreed with me."

Jayde grinned. Raiden didn't have a great past. When he was younger, both his parents died and he was put into an adoption home. But he made a name for himself. Because of his lack of guardians and getting rejected by multiple people, he got into the wrong crowds and began stealing things. That all changed when Jayde's mother met him for the first time. Jayde had told Luna about what happened to him, and her mother believed that he could be a strong and independent boy. Alester agreed with his wife, and they adopted him into their home when he was eleven. Alester began to train him as a guard for the village and Luna taught him how to be a responsible young man.

"I'll always be thankful for your parents, Jayde. They believed in me when no one else did. I'll never be able to thank them enough." He grinned, "I also got the best sister ever."

Jayde punched his arm playfully and smirked, "You bet you got the best sister ever."

Mitzy jumped on her board, wobbling slightly, "Whoa! Jayde, how do you do this?!"

The grey hedgehog chuckled at the young rabbit and flicked up the straps on Sonic's board, "For a beginner, I suggest you use these."

Mitzy balanced herself, leaning forward. The board jolted, leaving her to scream as she shot away from the two. Jayde's orbs widened as she rose in the sky but then the rabbit cried out in joy, turning herself back around to return, "Where's my epic background music?!" she shouted, twirling in the air. Jayde and Raiden tensed when she barely missed a tree and Mitzy arrived back with scruffy fur, "That was awesome!"

Raiden chuckled and balanced himself on the board, using the straps as well, "Where are we going, Jayde?"

The Protector thought for a moment before grinning, "Have you guys ever been to a Chao Garden?"

GUN HQ

Knuckles watched as the ice blue eyes of the ivory bat scanned across the keyboard, her fingers typing in random things that he couldn't keep up with, "So, what are you doing?"

Rouge frowned a bit, "I'm trying to get access into Eggman's computer. That way we can read through his files that Sonic failed to collect."

"What do you think he's planning at the moment?"

Rouge shrugged, "Currently, I have no idea. It's not like the doctor to attack with as much precision as he did. Whatever he's planning can't be good. Hopefully, these files will be useful to us."

Rouge continued searching, muttering things under her breath. Nothing on the computer seemed to be useful, and it seemed as though the doctor had covered his tracks well. The ivory bat sighed in annoyance, almost giving up. She thought that this was a brilliant idea. It would be able to tell them what Eggman was up to, then they could scramble his plan quickly. But that didn't seem to be the case and her plan was being scrambled instead.

That was what she thought until she saw an active file and clicked on to it. Knuckles stood to attention when he noticed his name, a low growl leaving him, "Why in Chaos am I on there?"

Rouge didn't know what to say. Everyone's names where on the files, even Manic's and Sonia's. There were new robot designs with highly advanced technology that could wipe out GUN's robots in a second – Omega wouldn't stand a chance!

"What is he up to?"

"I have no idea, but we need to tell the commander and Tails immediately." Rouge hissed, typing random things, "Guys, are you getting this?"

Tails nodded through the screen with wide eyes, "Yes. These files are crammed with information of us – from our attacks to our defenses, even our weaknesses are on here!"

"Tails, what do you say about these robots?" the commander asked.

"Judging by how hefty and strengthened they are, I'd say he's been working with someone outside of his lair – maybe even outside of the United Federation." Tails answered, "These robots aren't made of any material that comes from here."

The blue fox appeared on the screen, tapping on a different device, "There also seems to be some strange energy emitting from the visual prints. After decoding, I figured out that they've been strengthened using power similar to that of a Chaos Emerald. In fact, the readings show a high likelihood of it being charged by one."

"How did he get his hands on a Chaos Emerald?" Rouge asked, turning to the red echidna behind her.

Knuckles frowned, glaring at the screen with the robot blueprints, "I thought they were all by the Master Emerald. Tikal was looking after them – she would've warned me if they had gone missing. The only one that's not there is the one that Shadow has."

Tails looked confused, "But, if Eggman's robots have been charged with Chaos energy, and most of the Chaos Emeralds are with Tikal." The twin tailed fox's orbs widened, "You don't think-"

The commander interrupted abruptly, concern in his voice, "Agents, there's been a major attack in Station Square, I want everyone there right now!"

Tails nodded and signed off, leaving Rouge and Knuckles, "Is it Eggman?"

The commander nodded his head, "It's a confirmed sighting."